Story by KX News.
RELATED: TRNP Detained Stallion Placed into Private Care.
Category: Range
On the range
White Mountain Roundup Ends
The incident concluded on August 19 with 586 horses captured, 575 shipped, none released and 11 dead.
There were no unaccounted-for animals.
The capture and removal goals were 586 each.
The pre-gather population was thought to be 791.
The death rate was 1.9%.
The average daily take was 117.2.
The capture total included 219 stallions, 258 mares and 109 foals.
Youngsters represented 18.6% of the animals gathered.
Of the adults, 45.9% were male and 54.1% were female.
There were no plans to treat any of the mares with immunocontraceptive pesticides and return them to the HMA.
The roundup liberated 7,032 AUMs per year, giving new hope to the White Mountain permittees.
Sands Basin Emergency Roundup Next Week
The DNA has been copied to the project folder.
Attachment 1 in the Decision Record shows that the fire spread across several grazing allotments, including Sands Basin, which contains the HMA.
The news release did not indicate if the active AUMs will be moved into the suspended column and if the off season will be extended until the land recovers.
The capture and removal goals are 40 each.
The pests will be taken to the Boise off-range corrals, with possible transfer to Bruneau after vaccination and preparation.
The DR indicates that seven horses will be selected for permanent removal.
Mares over two years old will be treated with PZP or GonaCon before release.
Gather stats and daily reports will be posted to this page.
RELATED: Sands Basin Emergency Roundup in the Works?
Four Mile Emergency Roundup Next Week
The DNA has been copied to the project folder in ePlanning.
Attachment 1 in the Decision Record shows that many grazing allotments were affected by the fire, including Willow Ridge, which contains the HMA.
The impact on permitted grazing was not discussed in the news release.
The capture and removal goals are 52 each.
The horses will be taken to the off-range corrals in Boise and eventually transferred to Bruneau, where they will be held until their home recovers from the fire.
Gather stats and daily reports will be posted to this page.
RELATED: Four Mile Emergency Roundup?
South Steens Roundup, Day 4
The incident started on August 15. Results through August 18:
- Scope: South Steens HMA
- Target: Horses
- AML: 304
- Pre-gather population: 946
- True AML: 1,162
- Type: Planned
- Method: Helicopter
- Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
- Better way: Shoot the mares with pesticide-laced darts (according to advocates)
- Goals: Gather 760, remove 722
- Captured: 574, up from 154 on Day 1
- Shipped: 489, up from 36 on Day 1
- Released: None
- Deaths: 8, up from 1 on Day 1
- Average daily take: 143.5
- Unaccounted-for animals: 77
The figures above are based on the daily reports. Results for Days 2, 3 and 4 were not posted until today.
Three horses were put down for pre-existing conditions on Day 2, followed by one on Day 3 and three more on Day 4, bringing the death rate to 1.4%.
The capture total includes 200 stallions, 248 mares and 126 foals.
Youngsters represented 22% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of 17% per year.
Of the adults, 44.6% were male and 55.4% were female, within the expected range of variation of a random process centered at 50% males / 50% females.
Body condition scores were not given.
The location of the trap site is not known.
The HMA is subject to permitted grazing. Resources liberated to date:
- Forage: 6,888 AUMs per year
- Water: 5,740 gallons per day
The July 31 schedule indicates that up to 19 mares will be treated with fertility control pesticides and be returned to the range with up to 19 stallions but the gather page says 35 and 35.
The roundup supports three tenets of rangeland management.
RELATED: South Steens Roundup Begins.
Sulphur Roundup, Day 6
The incident started on August 13. Results through August 18:
- Scope: Sulphur HMA
- Target: Horses
- AML: 250
- Pre-gather population: 606
- True AML: 1,105
- Type: Planned
- Method: Helicopter
- Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
- Better way: Shoot mares with pesticide-laced darts (according to advocates)
- Goals: Gather 420, remove 360
- Captured: 258, up from 203 on Day 4
- Shipped: 212, up from 131 on Day 4
- Released: None
- Deaths: 1, no change from Day 4
- Average daily take: 43.0
- Unaccounted-for animals: 45
The figures above are based on the daily reports.
The sidebar at the gather page says 213 horses shipped.
The death rate is 0.4%.
The capture total includes 87 stallions, 120 mares and 51 foals.
Youngsters represented 19.8% of the animals gathered.
Of the adults, 42.0% were male and 58.0% were female.
Body condition scores were not provided.
The location of the trap site is not known.
The HMA is subject to permitted grazing. Resources liberated to date:
- Forage: 3,096 AUMs per year
- Water: 2,580 gallons per day
The July 31 schedule indicates that 30 mares will be treated with GonaCon Equine and be returned to the range with 30 stallions.
The roundup supports three tenets of rangeland management.
RELATED: Sulphur Roundup, Day 4.
Mustang Monday
At the Nevada National Security Sites by NNSS.
The facility, site of above-ground nuclear testing in the 1950s and early 1960s, stretches from the Nevada WHR to Johnnie HMA as shown in this map.
Subsequent tests were conducted below ground until 1992.
The video description did not indicate if the horses glow in the dark!
Any Nuclear Test Sites in Nevada Wild Horse Range?
The northwest corner of the Nevada National Security Sites, sometimes referred to as the Nevada Test Site, overlaps the HMA.
The map at Wikipedia indicates it’s Area 20, with one red dot in the upper left corner.
The National Data Viewer shows a crater in that area.
The measurement tool puts the diameter at slightly less than one thousand feet.
Western Horse Watchers does not know when the detonation occurred, if the horses can access the area, and how much radiation is present.
White Mountain Roundup, Day 3
The incident started on August 15. Results through August 17:
- Scope: White Mountain HMA
- Target: Horses
- AML: 300
- Pre-gather population: 791
- True AML: 1,889 (300 + 19,063 ÷ 12)
- Type: Planned
- Method: Helicopter
- Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
- Better way: Shoot the mares with pesticide-laced darts (according to advocates)
- Goals: Gather 586, remove 586
- Captured: 436, up from 144 on Day 1
- Shipped: 304, up from zero on Day 1
- Released: None
- Deaths: 8, up from zero on Day 1
- Average daily take: 145.3
- Unaccounted-for animals: 124
The figures above are based on the daily reports.
Four horses were intentionally killed on Day 2 for leg deformities. Four more were dispatched on Day 3 for pre-existing conditions, bringing the death rate to 1.8%.
The capture total includes 161 stallions, 198 mares and 77 foals.
Youngsters represented 17.7% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of 13% per year.
Of the adults, 44.8% were male and 55.2% were female.
Body condition scores were not given.
The location of the trap site is not known.
The HMA is subject to permitted grazing. Resources liberated to date:
- Forage: 5,232 AUMs per year
- Water: 4,360 gallons per day
There are no plans to treat any of mares with fertility control pesticides and return them to the range.
The roundup supports three tenets of rangeland management.
RELATED: White Mountain Roundup Begins.
Lake Havasu Roundup Ends
The incident concluded on August 14 with 110 burros captured, 109 shipped, none released and one dead.
There were no unaccounted-for animals.
The daily reports indicate 108 burros shipped, leaving one unaccounted-for animal.
The capture and removal goals were 100 each.
The death rate was 0.9%.
The average daily take was 13.8.
The capture total included 44 jacks, 56 jennies and 10 foals.
Youngsters represented 9.1% of the animals gathered.
Of the adults, 44% were male and 56% were female. These proportions are consistent with a random process centered at 50% males / 50% females.
The July 31 schedule classified the roundup as an emergency but the gather page said nuisance.
Coalition Appeals Rock Springs RMP Decision
Attorneys for the American Wild Horse Campaign, Animal Welfare Institute, Western
Watersheds Project and three individuals gave notice on August 16 to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit according to a news release by AWI.
Earlier in the week Judge Kelly Rankin affirmed the BLM’s plan to remove 5,000 wild horses and eliminate two million acres of their habitat in the Wyoming Checkerboard.
Sulphur Roundup, Day 4
The incident started on August 13. Results through August 16:
- Scope: Sulphur HMA
- Target: Horses
- AML: 250
- Pre-gather population: 606
- True AML: 1,105
- Type: Planned
- Method: Helicopter
- Category: Cruel and costly (according to advocates)
- Better way: Shoot mares with pesticide-laced darts (according to advocates)
- Goals: Gather 420, remove 360
- Captured: 203, up from 89 on Day 1
- Shipped: 131, up from zero on Day 1
- Released: None
- Deaths: 1, no change from Day 1
- Average daily take: 50.8
- Unaccounted-for animals: 71
The figures above are based on the daily reports.
The Day 2 report indicated more foals captured than mares but the actual values are probably 11 and 7, not 11 and 17.
The death rate is 0.5%.
The capture total includes 68 stallions, 97 mares and 38 foals.
Youngsters represented 18.7% of the animals gathered.
Of the adults, 41.2% were male and 58.8% were female.
Body condition scores were not provided.
The location of the trap site was not given.
The HMA is subject to permitted grazing. Resources liberated to date:
- Forage: 2,436 AUMs per year
- Water: 2,030 gallons per day
The July 31 schedule indicates that 30 mares will be treated with GonaCon Equine and be returned to the range with 30 stallions.
The roundup supports three tenets of rangeland management.
RELATED: Sulphur Roundup in Progress.
South Steens Roundup Begins
The incident started yesterday as scheduled, with 154 horses captured, none shipped, none released and one dead.
A stallion died of fractured neck.
RELATED: It’s Official: South Steens Roundup Set for August 15.
Foal-Free Friday, Aiding and Abetting the Ranchers Edition
You could argue that the advocates have abandoned the idea of principal use and have accepted the goal of ranching superiority in the lawful homes of wild horses, sometimes referred to as achieving and maintaining AMLs. Examples include:
- Reinforcing policies and plans that drive the removals
- Monitoring for humane treatment during the removals
- Picking up the pieces after removals
- Developing alternate methods of removal
- Lobbying for alternate methods of removal
- Lying about alternate methods of removal
Whether it’s HMAPs, videos of abuse during roundups or legislation that promotes the use of pesticides, the wild horse and burro program still operates as a grazing program ancillary, keeping the pests in check so ranchers can access most of their food.
Stay away from the advocates, they are the old guard, leaders of the blind, irrelevant.
RELATED: Foal-Free Friday, Right Versus Wrong Edition.
White Mountain Roundup Begins
The incident started today as scheduled, with 144 horses captured, none shipped, none released and no deaths.
Court Upholds Rock Springs RMP Amendments
A story by E&E News indicates that cases brought by the following groups were dismissed yesterday by the U.S. District Court of Wyoming.
- Friends of Animals
- Front Range Equine Rescue, Return to Freedom, et al
- Animal Welfare Institute, American Wild Horse Campaign, Western Watersheds Project, et al
The full article is available to subscribers only.
But a link to the court’s order was provided, which you can read in its entirety.
RELATED: What If the Rock Springs HMAs Were Zeroed Out with Pesticides?
Status of Sand Wash Roundup?
It’s on the July 31 schedule with a start date of today but a link to the daily reports still hasn’t been added to the Colorado gather page.
Sands Basin Emergency Roundup in the Works?
Four Mile Emergency Roundup?
A new project was opened in ePlanning today to assess NEPA adequacy ahead of an unplanned roundup because the Paddock Fire burned 100% of the HMA.
As of this evening, no documents are available for public review.
Superintendent Leaves TRNP
An August 14 report by AP News indicates she left her job for an opportunity in New Mexico but does not say if she’s still with NPS and if her departure was related to the failed attempt to remove wild horses from the park.
